Christmas in Greece 2015

No snow in the mountains, also warm enough to go swimming. Will there be a winter of cold and north winds, that brings out the mittens, scarfs and warm coats? Warm is good I guess, but I think it confuses Mother Nature. Flowers blooming and fruits on trees. Animals not sleeping that should be. The time of the year to give gifts and remembering good times with family and friends. Loved one's who are no longer with us. Giving to those on the streets and in homes with no heat, or those with no homes. It is better to give than receive. It is the love and the gift that counts. Remember when you give you will receive two times over. This is confusing to some and myself a few years ago. People give money to church and wonder where and when the double in return will be. It doesn't say your double will be in cash if you give cash. It also says there is no time involved. It could be years and you won't even realize it when something good happens. To me I give and expect nothing in return. So, I am not dreaming or expecting a white Christmas. Only seen a few in my life time. I have been behind the snow shovel in below freezing temperatures, almost frozen toes and fingers, wind burn and so on. ~~~CcP~~~12-21-2015

Vacation to Crete, Greece

Only a forty five minute flight from Athens to Heraklion airport in Crete. It is a very big island and renting a car is recommended. We did our sightseeing by bus and a lot of walking. The days are hot and always windy. When the sun sets the wind will die down a little and the evening will be warm. If staying in a hotel be sure to get one with air conditioning. Most hotels have air conditioning, but is better to be safe than sorry. The sea in the area where we stayed is very hard to swim in. The tide comes in very hard and is hard to stand up. You have to swim out far to get away from the hard waves. Unless you are a good swimmer I would not go out far. There was no life guard, so you are on your own. The night life is nice, plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. Lots of ice cream shops and grocery stores if you rented a apartment with a microwave and cooking supplies. The city offers plenty of tours if you want to see the city or go further into the island. I highly recommend Crete for a vacation if you visit Greece for a vacation.

Going swimming

Took a trip by boat to an island to swim on a hot Saturday. I am not much into swimming but it is nice once in awhile. I'll pass on a few lessons learned. I have been to several counties in the Far East, Okinawa, Japan, Malayasia and Vietnam. My point is,Greece has the hottest sun I have ever been under. You will fry so- to-speak in about an hour. Lesson learned: a. Apply sunscreen before you leave home so it can soak in. b.Apply another thin layer when you get to the beach or swimming pool. (do not rub it in like a massage). c. Do not stay there all day the beach will be there tomorrow. I did part of the above but not correctly, so here I sit with a nose like the Christmas reindeer. I am not into selfies, so you have to take my word for it. On my few days trip to Rhodes, Greece I missed my number one bucket list:

Well, maybe next time. Off to another island soon, summer is fast coming to a close. ~~~CcP~~~

Summer of 2015

It has been awhile since I posted, thought I better get something done. After a long rainy and cold winter summer finally arrived. A few fires have been in the mountains already due to hot and dry conditions, and a little lack of intelligence in people. Have had some very windy days, and it makes it hard for the fire fighters to get fires under control. The government has been battling out their budget, and requesting another loan to help the government stay above water. Poor people seems to always get the short end of the stick. Seems to be contagious all over the world in these times. Raising taxes, due to government failures, adds more burdens to people. I am not much into government business, so I rest my case on that subject.

July now and very hot 97 degrees F. I stay inside on these kind of days due to health issues. Almost too hot to even go to the beaches. It would be so crowded you probably couldn't enjoy yourself. Evening are nice. We usually take our small dog out when the sun sits for a walk and stop by a local coffee shop for a cool orange juice or other things good for staying cool. It would be nice to have some rains for a few days. The sun is blazing hot even a 8 am in the morning. It is nice if you are a sun person. Hope to get to a few more islands before winter time. It is tourist season and prices are a little high, I just say, "what the heck, you only live once". But I use some common sense on prices, after all their is still house payments, bills to pay and need to keep food on the table. ~~~CCP~~ 7-29-2015

The Peope Of Greece

They are very fine considerate people, highly religious. Yes you have your bad apples, but generally the people are caring and courteous. Lots of poor people, same as other countries I guess. They dress in fashion and some tradition. Mostly the older generations dress traditional. Older retired sit in the parks talking, not knowing the language I can imagine the discussion, political, high costs of living, unemployment (about 40 Percent). They have just elected a new President. He promises to get Greece back on track. We'll see about that. Winter got a late start this year, around the middle of December, waiting for spring and warmer weather. Plenty of activities for the cold adventures. Skiing, snowballs, etc. I prefer the beach, warm sun myself. ~~~CcP~~3/3/2015

Carnival

I have much to learn about Greek customs. This month is Carnival, like the New Orleans Mardi Gras I guess. The last weekend is full of celebration, lots of eating, flying kites and basically having a good time. Sunday is cheese day, (I love cheese, good day for me, Ha!) Monday starts other breads and macaroni, since fish is not allowed. I don't care for some fishes, tuna is ok, but the squid, octopus does not appeal to me. When I was young I loved to fish and catch catfish, it was good then but as I got older I guess I just lost my appetite for some fishes. Like I said I have much to learn and the country and customs, I learn a little at a time. ~~~CcP~~1-22-2015

Cold Days

The first time I have seen so much snow since I moved here. The last three days I have stayed inside, because it is windy rain and snow mixed. Temperature 35 degrees. Is not really cold but best to stay inside unless you need to get out. One good thing is the snow does not stick on the ground. The ground is not frozen, so it melts when it hits the ground. It is pretty to watch. Be glad to see spring arrive, has been a long wet and cold winter. Looking forward to going to the sea and visiting other island this summer. ~~~CcP~~02-11-2015

Rainy Days

If you have a problem with rain, Greece could be a little problem for you in the winter months. Where I come from rain was welcomed, but not so much as here. In the US where I come from there are four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. Summer was warm and that is when we had rain. Here in Greece rain is mostly in the winter. Seems funny to me to see lightning and thunder in the winter. The US thunder and lightning stops in the winter and snow takes over. Takes a little while to get use to it here, but is better than shoveling snow in the winter. Another problem you might encounter here is if you have joint problems in your legs or arms. There is a lot of humidity in the winter and in my case have some aches and pains in my arms. Just like anywhere else you have your pros and cons. Find your destination, whether Greece or Alaska. You only live once, make the best of it. ~~~CCP~~~1-26-2015

Does It Snow In Greece?

I wondered that before I moved here from the United States. Most people, (me included), think it is go to the beach and lay in the sun all year. WRONG! So the answer is, yes it does snow in Greece. Now it also depends on the part of Greece you live in. Up north like most other places you get into mountains and snow. Skiing and all the other winter sports available. South part in more mild, mostly rain in the winter and low's in mid 30 degrees. You can see snow in the high mountains on clear days. I say mild temperatures, but Greek people probably think different and is really cold to them. But to me coming from sometimes 10-15 below zero, is very mild to me. So if you are looking for a get away from bad winters you won't find it in Greece until about March. Summer is beautiful and warm and many places to visit. So yes, it does snow in Greece. ccp 1-12-2015